Hand In Hand
by UuGgHh its Bryan
Summary: /one-shot/ Pamoon has awakened from his thousand year rest...but to battle? Is this all he was awoken to due? Or is there a deeper meaning beyond that, not even Zofis himself can see?


So, I do not know why, but I've had an Itch to write a one-shot for Pamoon and Lance, since I love them so much. It's a little of my opinion of what could've happened before he was sent to that lower

floor area where he battled Zatch and Kiyo.

This was all I had muse for, since like, ever. I'm sorry to anyone who read's my other stories, I will try to get around to updating them when I can, I promise.

But I hope someone reads this haha I want to see what people think(:

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Trapped, cold, damp; this was my life for a thousand years. Stuck, encased in stone. You don't know much about yourself…until the day you're faced with the cruel reality that you have lost, and now you have lost everything. I remember the day so clearly…I remember the turn of events…I remember how we were winning…how everything was going so well, and then it happened. Then I was beaten, destroyed; removed from the battle. I curse the owner of that damned Brown book. I curse my own partner, Shelby, for being so weak. I curse humanity for letting me lose. I curse so many things…but I refuse to curse myself. I have already been cursed…I have been locked inside this block of stone for years and years…and now there is nothing left but me and my own thoughts.

It's torture. It's like you're on fire, like your whole body is scolding and you can't do a thing about it. I can't move anything, my eyes are forever frozen open…and my pride is forever in ruins.

Dammit! This is not how it was supposed to happen! This is now how anything was supposed to end up! What happened? What happened to the empire I could have touched, the ruling I could have tasted…now it is all gone. Now it all washed away by that accursed Goren. I want his head. I want to turn him into stone so bad, to destroy and shake him to his very foundation…but I cannot. I am sealed in this rock forever, for all eternity…and I hate it. I hate every single thing about it. I cannot use any of my pow- I mean, spells, anymore. They are still called…spells, yes? I can't even keep track of how long I have been in here…how long I have had to suffer, but I'm sick of it. I can't help but hate myself in the process.

So weak, so useless; is this what has become of my clan? One of the Four Heavenly Mamodo, reduced to mere stone? How pathetic, how infantile- I am crestfallen. I can't imagine…my family…my friends…they're all gone now, they have all passed as I imagine…and now I have no one. I am used to it though, after all. I mean, wouldn't you be too? If you were in my place, stuck inside this god forsaken symbol of your weakness, wouldn't you hate yourself? Wouldn't you abhor yourself for being allowed to be put in such a place? We all do. Every single one of us turned to stone under Goren's wrath hate ourselves for it. We can't do anything about it though…we're all stuck here… a piece of land…forever…

But wait. What is this…this feeling? Is it…w-warmth? I haven't felt such warmth in…in so long…what time is it? H-has another battle begun… has it already, really been one thousand years…? I c-can't…I don't know what's happening. I see…is it light…? Penetrating into the darkness, there is light…but why? How is this possible…is someone…freeing me? Am I actually being…helped? Does this mean…is it possible…

Does someone actually remember me?

W-why are they laughing…? Why does their laugh send…such evil chills down my spine…? What is happening…? Why can't I move? W-wait! No! I c-can! I can move my fingers! I'm struggling…it has been so long since I've had a body…so long since I've used it…I have to get used to it again. There is a stinging in my eyes…such a foul odor around me…why? Who is in front of me…? There is a dark shade over my head, my body; what's happening? I can finally open my eyes…for so long I have been neglected of the pleasure…but yet, here I am, opening them right back up again. Like it's natural. Because it is. It is second nature taking over.

Finally I open them fully, let the strain of darkness leave me…and then there is such blinding light, such evil, deranged light…I'm forced to look away. I can feel my chest moving up and down…I can breathe, it's a miracle! I let my lungs fill with the glory and sweetness of the air, finally feeling real again. But, sooner than I would have liked, there is pain once more. Something has grabbed my face and turned it. I open my eyes again, and they widen. I'm staring into the most snake-like, disturbing eyes I have ever seen…who is this, t-this evil being?

There is that chuckle again. It's like nails scraping down a blackboard, and it gives me Goosebumps.

"Good morning…Pamoon." H-how do they know my name…? Why is this…thing…standing over me?

"W-what…happened…?" I trail off, unable to really understand what is going on. Suddenly, I feel my body being jerked upwards. A small noise of pain leaves my mouth, and as soon as it does I regret it. I regret making such a weak, feeble noise in the presence of this person. I have to steady myself…I have to get used to my legs again.

"My name is Zofis, Pamoon, and I am the one who freed you." Zofis…? I had never heard of such a name before…? That's when I pieced it together; this Zofis person…was in fact a mamodo. I started to back away slowly, before I hit into someone. I flew around to see a taller human standing behind me. He was holding my book at his side…but his eyes…were so…so blank. They were just pure, paper white. What had happened to him? I looked back to the mamodo before me, and spoke this time in a stronger voice.

"What has happened? Am I still on earth? What is going on?" I saw an evil, bone chilling smirk move over his face…if it was, in fact, a he.

"A thousand years have passed, my minion-" Okay, hold on, did he just call me a _minion_?

"I am no one minion." I interjected with sharpness to my voice, my previous personality coming out now.

"I am Pamoon, one of the Four Heave-" Before I could continue, he bitterly interrupted me in a tone that cautioned danger.

"Silence! I freed you; therefore I can put you back inside that stone…would you like that?" I shuddered to myself, but I imagine he saw it anyway. I looked behind me and then back to him, giving a hard nod to say I was listening.

"Good, pawn. Just listen to me, and you won't have to go back." I nodded once more.

"A thousand years has passed, and a new battle has begun. You, Pamoon, are now my pawn and subject. Whatever I tell you to do, you do without question, or there will be consequences. That person behind you, his name is Lance, and has no control over his emotions anymore; he is merely your puppet now. He is being compelled by something bigger than both of us, and he is your new book owner." I looked at the boy…and felt remorse. He seemed…sad…underneath the blank and distant face. Why couldn't he keep his emotions? Why was he being controlled? What was going on?

"Why is he l-"His finger shot up and then suddenly a tall female walked out from behind him.

"Oh, Zofis, do we have more training to do?" She took out a deep purple book as it began to glow. My own eyes widened, but before I could talk Lance had already pulled out our own book…our _new_ book. Were we…connected, somehow? Was it the relationship between him and the book and myself that put us so in sync? I didn't know, but I turned my attention to the person in front of us first.

"Now Pamoon, this is my partner, Koko." I looked over to her, and in all honestly she was dressed a little…revealing.

"Hello Pamoon, pleasure to meet you…that is, if you wind up deserving enough to stay." She opened her book as it began to glow wildly, I put up my arms as a cold beat of sweat slunk down the back of my neck. I had just awoken, and now we were fighting? What the hell was going on?

"This is your first test Pamoon. If you can survive a battle with myself, for even five minutes, you will be permitted to stay." The sinister smile formed, and then I felt…trapped, almost. The room had shrunken…now feeling like it was only ten feet by ten feet, from its original fifty…I think. The only light in the room were from the dull candles all around us, hanging on small plates on ledges of the wall.

_"Radom!" _The words spit like venom from the female's mouth, her voice high and shrill of sorts. I flinched for a moment as the cloud of…fire, was heading straight towards us.

"Lance!" I said, holding up my arms as my stars began to move all around us.

_"Fashield!" _Just as I thought, the stars assembled themselves into the shield so fast…it had been so long since they were used. When the attack clashed, I felt the green shield shake and take immense damage. Was that just their…f-first spell…? If it was…then this…would be an impossible battle to win.

I knew that this would take a lot of strategic thinking from me, and a lot of pure teamwork with an unemotional human to let us even stand a chance. I glared lightly at them before I saw the mamodo smirk and then laugh menacingly towards us. Was he trying to get me mad? Well, it worked. My teeth dug into my lip before I set my arms out.

"Lance, let's go!" The book began to glow a bright yellow and I knew we would need to use my strongest spells if we hoped to survive.

_"Demu Faruga!" _I heard Lance call out, and then my stars were moving. They swirled viciously in the air as they formed the large laser wall, and began to move towards Zofis at a rather fast pace. He just smirked, and it was like…like this spell was simple baby language to him, it made me hiss in annoyance.

_"Rond Radom!"_ There was the high pitched voice once more, and then the mamodo named Zofis held out his hand, and a large rod made of a green lightening-like substance collided with my wall, destroying it and sending my stars hurdling back at me. They rearranged themselves neatly above us, moving and gravitating around me protectively; I guess they too knew, there was no chance of us winning.

"Why are you doing this! Why make me fight the second I am brought into the world again!" I hissed at them, placing my left palm on my right forearm.

_"Excelles Faruga!" _Lance called out as my stars managed to move into the shape of a large 'X' and then fire directly at them.

_"Gigarado Shield!" _A large, spiral of flames seemed to shoot from Zofis' hand and move to swirl around themselves, forming a large shield in front of them. Both my attack and the shield clashed with a deadly scream, exploding with a large wind, blowing nearly all the candles out.

Now the situation went from bad to worse. Not only was there barely any light, but now my stars light was shining through the blackness, and I was a sitting duck. I could no longer see anything in front of me for nearly five feet and Zofis was now nowhere on my radar. From the dark I heard that evil cackle; it was the sound of a true demon. It sent shivers down my spine as my whole entire being was ravaged with fear, as if being gnawed at from the inside out. My body began to quake, my mind was becoming unraveled, and I knew this would be the end. I knew I would lose everything now.

Cold sweat dropped down my neck, and then I heard a spell.

_"Oruga Radom!"_ I could only thing of one thing to do, and that was to use our shield, hoping, praying it worked.

_"Fashield!" _The stars assembled, the shield was up, but it wasn't enough. The attack crashed into us from behind, and the shield shattered like a glass sheath beneath its strength and sent us flying towards the wall. Instinctively, the stars whirled around me, but I sent them to Lance to protect him. They caught him before he could hit the wall, but it was a different story for me. I crashed my back into the stone, creating a large crater in the wall. My mouth gasped open as a cry was let out, a few drops of blood shooting out with it. I grunted and fell on all fours, coughing and panting. I had to get light into the room, somehow, someway; I had to figure out something.

"What's wrong Pamoon? Is that all you have to offer?" He was snickering beneath the blanket of darkness and he was mocking me. My teeth ground together and my fist hit the floor, there was nothing I could do! But then I felt something on my shoulder. I looked over to see Lance. There was…the faintest of color in his eyes…and he was pointing to the wall. That's when I got it. Natural light. Lance was thinking…some part of his human mind must have kicked it, somehow.

"Aw, are the puppeteer and the puppet falling in love?" This time the retort was from the girl, and it made me angry. I got up to my feet and turned to the wall, resuming the same position as before.

_"Farusu!"_ Lance called and our first spell was fired, carving a large hole in the wall and pushing it out. Immediately light flooded into the room. I looked over and spotted Zofis in the corner. My eyes widened…he was…was levitating…since when, I didn't even hear a spell? He chuckled at my look I supposed, before suddenly he and the girl were close to us, not even ten feet away. I jumped back, and to my surprise so did Lance. I felt the win rush in my face as they became blurs, my hands shooting out.

"Lance, now!" I shouted as our book began to glow bright, and Lance called out shortly after me.

_"Dioga Faruizdon!" _Dammit! The stars wrapped around the girl but not Zofis! The other mamodo moved out into the open with another, evil chuckle. The stars arranged over the girls head as the beam began to energize, and then shoot at an incredibly slow pace towards her.

_"Dioga Teoradom!" _The girl spat with a wicket smile. Suddenly, the most powerful, largest fiery sphere I had ever seen hovered above Zofis' head…and now there was nothing I could do. If I moved, the spell cancelled. If I didn't, Lance and I would be done for. I had to…I didn't know…what do I do? My whole body froze suddenly, as I heard those words again…heard the same spell as last time.

_"Dioga Gorgogeo!" _It was Goren's book owner; calling out the spell…in my head…I could hear it so clearly. I could feel myself becoming a statue…turning to stone, and I was losing faith, and fast. My body wasn't responding and my face was frozen open in terror, sweat now beating fast down it. My arms and legs were shaking immensely and I couldn't help but let out a small whimper. I could tell Zofis was enjoying this…when I willed myself over to look, he was now holding his powerful spell with one hand and that was it. Then…then I looked to Lance. His face was…it was different…determined, almost. I could see the pain and sadness behind his eyes…the things he could not show.

I saw a small tear well and fall out of the corner, and that's when I knew it. I had to save him. I had to release Koko and make sure Lance was okay. I saw him shaking minor, and that's when my spell broke. Koko was free and just stood there, placing a hand on her hip as her spell book continued to glow. I stepped in front of Lance, whispering harshly to him.

"I'll protect you…I won't lose again…I won't ever let anything happen to you again!" It was…odd…the way I was talking. It was almost like I was talking to Shelby again…like I was trying to apologize, like I was trying to make up for it. I saw Lance turn and his feet spread a little, the book began to glow even brighter than before, and he called out my most powerful spell.

_"Pentalum Faruga!" _My winged beast was sent flying into the air after Zofis, the hatred and fear I harbored in my heart for someone I had met moments ago was fueling it, as well as my rage for Goren. The attack above Zofis was sent flying down by his hand, an evil laughter after it. I stood my ground though. I would no longer be walked all over by everyone. I would protect the people I cared about. I would be the voice for people who didn't have one.

I would be the voice for Lance.

The five stars on the creatures head clashed with the fire sphere, and a great calling was heard. It sounded like the beast…my spell…was in pain, and it hurt me as well. Our book's glow wasn't faltering, but neither was Koko's. I looked back at Lance, and he was in the same position as before. But…something was…different. I looked closely into his eyes…and for a second, such a minor glimpse it was, I could swear I saw a pupil of some sort move towards me. But before I could look any longer, before I could contemplate anything else, Zofis' attack crashed through mine, sustaining fatal damage and heading straight for us. It was significantly smaller now, but it would still hurt to deal with. I was about to lunge in front of Lance, when suddenly…without me even thinking it…he was reading spells on his…his own…

_"Demu Faruga! Fashield!" _First my hands shot up, and the laser wall suddenly moved over the hole in the actual wall. It was…was so…s-so brilliant! The fireball crashed into the laser, and after a moment pushed through them, but then our shield was up around us, now being able to take the damage of attack without breaking. I saw a drop of sweat slide down Lance's neck and then there was a crash. The attack clashed with our shield…and then there was smoke. I couldn't see anything, and Lance and I were both coughing. I fanned the smoke away, but right as I was about to put up my hands in preparation to fight more…there was hand in my face. My eyes grew in shock as I realized the long, purple nails belonged to none other than Zofis. His open palm radiated power in my face…and he was grinning widely at me.

"Good job…you pass." Those were the last words I heard, before his hand connected with my face, sending me back into Lance, causing him to fall to the ground and hit the wall. There was a large red mark on the side of my face and it stung, but it was…okay. I was still here…Lance was still here…everything would be okay.

"You survived for eleven minutes and thirty seven seconds. Good job. Now, go out the door, hang a right…" He was listing off instructions, and I nodded at each one. We both got up, and Koko handed us two small jewels. She said it was to restore our power from within, and only use them after an intense, fierce battle if we had one. I nodded before we began walking towards the door…Lance looked injured, and I felt…I felt bad…actually. Once we were out the door, it closed and shut loudly. We stood for a moment…before I said something without thinking, and I don't even know why.

"Sorry." My voice was small and pained, but I began to walk despite it. I was walking, but then suddenly…something gripped my hand. I looked down…and it was Lance. His face was blank like before, all traces of emotion gone now…but he did that, of his own free will. I looked down as he began to walk with me. He had something left in him…he had humanity left, and I guess he was…worried, about me? Maybe…I have never actually been worried about before though, so I couldn't tell you if it were true.

"Thank you." I said quietly, as if he would respond…as if I could hear his voice again.

"I won't ever be defeated…I won't lose again. This time…this time will be different…this time I'll protect you…this time I won't lose you." I squeezed his hand lightly, and my heart couldn't help but jump a little when he squeezed back. Things would be okay…everything would be okay in the end, as long as I had Lance, and as long as I had the power of our Spell Book…things seemed alright.

Everything was peaceful as we walked into the darkness, walked into the unknown with only my stars to guide us through the night and Lance at my side, the sinister laugh from behind us was now drowned out as we went further and further into the blackness, into the fight once again; but this time…this time I would win.

This time I had Lance. This time we would win together. This time we would prevail;

Hand In Hand.

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I would LOVE to know what people though of this, if you read it, so pleaseee let me know! Thank you!

As Always,

Bryan(:


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